British Airways fined $1.1m by US government

British Airways has been fined $1.1m (£878,000) by the US authorities implicit claims it failed to wage refunds for cancelled flights during the pandemic.

The US Department of Transportation said the hose had not provided "timely refunds to passengers" for abandoned oregon rescheduled flights to and from the country.

It said it had received much than 1,200 complaints astir the airline.

BA rejected the claims, saying it had "acted lawfully astatine each times".

According to the transport department, from March to November 2020, BA's website instructed consumers to interaction the bearer by telephone to sermon refund options, including for flights the bearer had cancelled oregon importantly changed.

However, consumers were incapable to get done to lawsuit work agents erstwhile calling the bearer for respective months during this play due to the fact that BA failed to support capable functionality of its lawsuit work telephone lines , it said.

"There was besides nary mode to taxable a refund petition done the carrier's website during this period," the section said.

It added that from March to November 2020, misleading accusation connected BA's website had led consumers to inadvertently petition question vouchers alternatively of refunds.

It said that on with the 1,200 complaints received by the department, BA had received thousands much complaints and refund requests straight from consumers.

The section said the failures had "caused important challenges and delays successful thousands of consumers receiving required refunds".

It added that the good established a "strong deterrent to aboriginal akin unlawful practices".

BA volition beryllium credited $550,000 towards the punishment due to the fact that it paid much than $40m successful refunds to customers with non-refundable tickets successful 2020 and 2021.

The hose said: "We're precise atrocious that astatine the tallness of the unprecedented pandemic - erstwhile we were unluckily forced to cancel thousands of flights and adjacent immoderate telephone centres owed to authorities restrictions - our customers experienced somewhat longer hold times to scope lawsuit work teams.

"During this period, we acted lawfully astatine each times and offered customers the flexibility of rebooking question connected antithetic dates, oregon claiming a refund if their flights were cancelled.

"To date, we person issued much than 5 cardinal refunds since the commencement of the pandemic."